My partner has a racing car, all fitted out with roll-cage, harnesses, racing seats etc. We took it up the mountain yesterday for our walk and I was reminded again how tight those seats are. I'm hoping to lose enough weight to fit in them comfortably. Right now i can get in to them, but they cut in to my legs and I can't quite get right in to the back of it. Not sure how much i would have to lose though (And given I'm a girl and they're bloke's seats, I may never quite fit comfortably).

35kg lost. (November 2005 - October 2006)15kg gained again (as at October 2010).Back to the drawing board - Let's do this thing!

My real name is Tegan....Butterfly Dawn is a screen name I use (Pinched of an artwork). You can call me anything but late to dinner!

it was a wonderful view and a lovely walk. Sphinx rock is a lovely view of the mountain and the city and it's a nice 20-30 min return on a good track. We went on to the octopus tree which is fantastic and then back down to the shoebridge hairpin then back up the road to the car-park at the Springs. I think we were walking for approx an hour (not including the 10 or so mins spent admiring the view from sphinx rock) and probably just over half of it was up-hill with a lot of flat too.

For any of you non-tasmanians (or even non-hobartians) if you're ever down this way, I really reccommend that walk.

35kg lost. (November 2005 - October 2006)15kg gained again (as at October 2010).Back to the drawing board - Let's do this thing!

Just curious, does Tasmania do any burning off?
In Perth CALM make a lot of smoke pollution that is really hurting my lungs. They do controlled burn offs of bushland so there won't be any out of control bushfires.

Forestry Tas usually does burning off around Autumn, and it is a pain, but at least it's only at one time of the year. launceston has the worst smoke pollution in aus apparently and it really affected my athsma when I lived there.

35kg lost. (November 2005 - October 2006)15kg gained again (as at October 2010).Back to the drawing board - Let's do this thing!

That we do there Tegan . Cause we live here in Launceston it lies in a valley with da big moutains either side of it . In winter with wood fires it gets really bad cause the smog lies on the river which basically runs 50kms up from Bass Straight to the center of Lonnie . When we get the burn off or fires in summer which we had last year they warn u to stay inside if u have astma cause it gets that bad . That being all said we do have some lovely walks along the river here and in da mountains . One of my goals (looooooooooooong tem one) is to hike that Wall of Jerusalum here in tassie.

I'd like to do the Walls too. I've climbed Cradle which was a hike, but very enjoyable. But we don't have camping gear (i.e a light weight tent and sleeping bags etc). I suppose you could just have a wander as a day walk, but I think most people do it as an overnighter don't they?

35kg lost. (November 2005 - October 2006)15kg gained again (as at October 2010).Back to the drawing board - Let's do this thing!

Yup i think so . I dont have any gear but one day ill do it its a goal in the back of my mind What was Cradle like . I am afraid ill get half way and fall on my butt LOL and have da helicopter have to come winch me out

I had decided that I was going to do it. I was going to get over my hatred of anything vaguely hilly and just climb the damn thing. I didn't do any training, we were just at my parents place near Devonport and I said "Let's do Cradle tomorrow" so we did.

It took 8 hours I think from memory. We took the steep but short track up Marions lookout and that was tough. Then there was mostly flat until the mountain. had lunch at Kitchen hut. the mountain was all covered in cloud and yuck, so we didn't know if we'd continue but after lunch the clouds parted for us (see, even the weather encourages us to get fitter!) and we climbed the mountain. That was another steep, hard slog, like Marions again, but with boulder hopping. Nobody expected me to get to the top, but I did, and I was so proud!

Coming down was worse than going up in my opinion. i got stuck climbing down one rock and panicked. Then coming down Marions, it was so steep my little tootsies were all squished to the top of my shoe and I got the worst blisters!! The next few days were very sore. I expected the legs, but my arms were also really bad from the boulder hopping.

All in all though, it was a fantastic trip. Saw some amazing scenery and achieved a great goal!

35kg lost. (November 2005 - October 2006)15kg gained again (as at October 2010).Back to the drawing board - Let's do this thing!

I am originally a Devonport girl, and Cradle is beautiful, when you climbed it (I don't think I would have the energy for that) did you take photo's from the top, that would be awesome. You must feel so proud that you accomplished it.